8.2 /10 1 Votes
First episode date 14 September 2011 | 8.2/10 IMDb Creative director(s) Phil Dobree Final episode date 19 October 2011 Genre Television documentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Created by Nigel PatersonPhil Dobree Written by Nigel PatersonTom Brass Similar Walking with Dinosaurs, Dinosaur Britain, Dinosaur Planet, Dinosaur Revolution, Chased by Dinosaurs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Planet Dinosaur, is a six-part documentary television series created by Nigel Paterson and Phil Dobree, produced by the BBC, and narrated by John Hurt, first aired in the United Kingdom in 2011, produced by VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures. It is the first major dinosaur-related series for BBC One since Walking with Dinosaurs. There are more than 50 different prehistoric species featured, and they and their environments were created entirely as computer-generated images, for around a third of the production cost that was needed a decade earlier for Walking with Dinosaurs. Much of the plot is based on scientific discoveries made since Walking with Dinosaurs. The companion book to Planet Dinosaur was released on 8 September 2011 and the DVD and Blu-ray on 24 October 2011.
Contents
Spin-offs
CBBC aired a spin-off, Planet Dinosaur Files, from 29 September 2011, hosted by Jem Stansfield. Each episode compares three Mesozoic creatures and involves practical tests to replicate certain behaviours in an attempt to find out which creature holds a certain title, such as the "most powerful" theropod. A 60-minute 3-D spin-off of Planet Dinosaur was announced in July 2011, and was broadcast on 19 August 2012 under the name Ultimate Killers.
Reception
Tom Sutcliffe of the Independent found that it was visually "polished and jazzed up" but that the "knowledge and science generally take second place to B-movie spectacle". Brian Switek from the Smitsonian Science blog "Dinosaur Tracking" commented, "What sets Planet Dinosaur apart, and what I enjoyed most, is the fact that a modicum of science is woven into each episode to back up the different vignettes being presented." He also added "...[while] Planet Dinosaur is not that perfect dinosaur documentary that we have all been hoping for, it is still far better than just about anything that I have seen lately."
Gordon Sullivan, from DVD Verdict concluded in a positive way "Planet Dinosaur is a fine series that gives viewers a good sense of where our knowledge about dinosaurs is at the moment. Combining nature-documentary stylings with a competent narration from smooth-voiced John Hurt, Planet Dinosaur is sure to please budding paleontologists and older dinosaur fans alike."
